LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



• (SMITHSONIAN DEPOSIT.) 

Chap O^SjSF 
Shelf ,QCo'^ 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



SUGAR CANE, 

SORGHUM SiLOOHAH^TUM, 'W. 



11 V 



DR. C. A. GOESSMANN. 



FKOM TRANSACTIOKS N. Y. STATE AORICCLTt'KAL SOCIETY, 1861. 




C OISTTH I B XJ TI O IS^S 



TO THE 



KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURE 



OF THE 



CHINESE SUGARCANE, 

(Sorghum Saccharatum, W.) 



1" 



hi 







BY CHAS. a: GOESSMANN. 



y. 



to AL BAN Y: 

PRINTED BY CHARLES VAN BENTHUYSEN. 

18G2. 



SUGARCANE — Sorghum Saccharatum, W. 



There has lately beeu introduced into the agricultural pursuits 
of the United States a new plant — Sorghum Saccharatum, W., 
Holcus Saccharatus, L., commonly called Chinese sugarcane — • 
which, for good reasons, has since excited the interest of the 
farmers and manufacturers. Although year by year the most 
gratifying results have been published in numerous reports, 
coming from various States of the Union, we are still, up 
to the present time, without a desirable publication of general 
investigations, as to the nature of this very valuable plant, from 
a chemical point of view The striking influence in the developr 
ment of the manufacture of sugar from the beet, of a proper 
application of chemical principles, pi'ompted the author, two 
years ago, to call the attention of the agricultural institutes 
of his native country, Germany, to this matter, by publishing in 
Dr. Henneberg's "Landwirthschaftlicher Zeitung," Wende, Goet- 
tingen, Hanover, his own observations concerning the nature of 
the juice of Sorghuna made during the summer season of 1857, 
while in Philadelphia. The increased interest which the Chinese 
sugarcane has assumed, as well as the experience gained during 
a recent visit to Cuba, have induced me to re-publish my results, 
having nothing in view but the desire that the following pages 
may aid in saving time to those who may hereafter be engaged 
in a more complete elaboration of the subject. Investigations 
like these under consideration, undoubtedly require repeated 
testings of the same point in different states of the plant's devel- 
opment, and observations made under various terrestrial, as well 
as climatical influences. The plants which served for my expe- 
riments, were grown on a soil consisting of crumbled syenitic 
elate, previously manured with a calcareous loam and stable 
manure. 



Henrj' S. Olcott informs us that a French missionarj', Father 
du Halde found this plant used for the manufacture of sugar in 
the interior of China. The French Consul General subsequently 
coming into possession of the seed, sent them, iu 1851, to Paris. 
The first Asiatic specimen of Sorghum we find at the exhibition 
at Moscow. In 1854 appeared. iu Paris the first tolerably com- 
plete publication concerning the Sorghum Saccharatum, by Mr. 
Vilmorin — " Recherches de Sorgho sucre." The juice of the 
plant has since been worked in that country almost exclusively 
for the manufacturing of Sorghum spirits. Mr. D. E. Brown 
found a field destined for that purpose, in the south of France, 
while traveling, by order of the Patent Office at Washington, in 
search of plants which might prove valuable to the farming inte- 
rests of the United States. This gentleman induced the Patent 
Office to order a quantity of the seed of the new sugar plant, 
Avhich order supplied the parties interested in this country, with 
seed to start their first experiments. Besides the Asiatic species, 
which is the subject of my investigations, we learned, in 1851, of 
another sugar plant, by Mr. Wray, called .laiphee plant, since 
then also recognized as a Sorghum species. 

• He found the plant on the African coast near Cape Natal. 
The first sugar, alcohol, etc., manufactured from the Cape Natal 
plant, was seen at Paris at the grand exhibition in 1856. Fur- 
ther inquiry has shown, however, that Mr. Wray's Imphee is the 
same plant which Italian merchants had brought from the African 
coast some sixty or eighty years before, and raised for a short 
period in Upper Italy. This species seems to ripen too late to 
secure a good result in regard to its percentage of sugar, and was 
probably on that account abandoned. I am informed by the 
director of a very distinguished agricultural institute, in Hun 
gary, that they have cultivated there, for years, several Sorghum 
species for green food — probably the Italian plant. 

In closing this historical introduction, I will mention the fol- 
lowing pamphlets, which were published previous to the appear- 
ance of my German article, and from which I obtained the 
material for some of my estimates : 

Olcott, H. S., " Sorgho and Imphee," Saxton, N. Y., 1857. 

Stanisbury, "Chinese Sugarcane," Boston, 1857. 

Hyde, J. C. F., "Chinese Sugarcane," Boston, 1857. 



I. Chemical Chabacteus of the Sorghum Pl^vnt and its vari- 
ous PARTS. 

The plant I allude to has been so often described, and its 
strong resemblance to the broom corn, before the ripening of the 
seed, is so generally acknowledged, that 1 may trust, wherever I 
sliall have to speak of one of its parts, to recall to the memory 
of most of my readers a familiar subject. I have, therefore, 
here omitted the botanical description, which is given in my 
German publication. My experiments, limited by want of time 
and assistance, treat principally of those questions which decide 
the industrial value of the plant, leaving several points, of a mere 
scientific character, to another investigation. I considered it 
first of main importance to decide the nature of the sugar, if 
cane or grape sugar ; its quantity or their relative proportions to 
each other, and the conditions under which it is found, and devo- 
ted finally some attention to the most remarkable features of the 
other parts of the plant, and their relative value for various 
technical purposes. 

I ascertained consequently the concentration, the quantity and 
the nature of the juice, as well as of the organic and inorganic 
compounds contained therein, and have closed my article with an 
appendix, treating of some of the means and ways to secure a good 
crop, and to turn the various parts of the plants to the best 
advantage for domestic purposes. 

A. The Juice. 

1. General Properties, — The cane used for the following ex- 
peri ments was taken from the field in its perfectly ripened 
state, October 20, 1857. The seed leaves had assumed a 
dark red color ; the lower leaves on the stem had lost their 
freshness, and the whole plant had ceased to increase in size. For 
the purpose of obtaining the juice, the stem was cut off about 
six or eight inches above the roots ; was freed from the leaves 
and the top piece of about two and one-half feet to three feet in 
length, including the seed ear, and then sent through the roller 
of a small, powerful sugarcane mill. 

The stem of a good sized plant usually weighs in that state 
one and a half to two pounds, and yields sixty-five to seventy 
per cent, of juice. 

, A filtration of the fresh juice, through paper, is not applicable 
on account of the slowness of the operation, as it would unques- 



tionably furnish a filtrate worthless for testing as to the nature 
of the sugar. I operated consequently with the collated juice- 
The fresh juice collated, as soon as possible, through a piece of 
woolen cloth, was dark and bulky, had a sweet, although herba- 
ceous after-taste, and was of a greenish yellow color ; it deposited 
in a few hours a voluminous, slimy sediment, of which the more 
solid parts were white, consisting mainly of torn cells, while 
the lighter and slimy portion was, owing to the presence of chlo- 
rophyl, of a green color. In the same degree as the suspended 
particles settled, the color of the juice changed to a more yellow- 
ish opalescent tint. The fresh juice showed a slight acid re-action, 
had a specific gravity equal to 9 deg. Baum^, (62 deg. F.,) and 
began to separate at 65 deg. — 10 deg. C, (=150 deg. — 160 deg. 
r. ;) a coagulated albuminous matter without becoming limpid. 
It boiled at 101 deg.— 101^ deg. C, (=214 deg.— 215 deg. F.,) 
and a continued boiling only produced the desired result. Kept 
for a short time by itself, at a temperature of 20 deg. — 25 deg. 
C, (^68 deg. — 17 deg. F.,) it began to ferment; a white scum 
rose to the surface, and settled as the fermentation ceased to the 
bottom of the vessel, forming there a sediment like yeast. The 
fresh juice filtered much more rapidly through paper when mixed 
with a sufiicient quantity of a solution of caustic potash ; it formed, 
when to this alkaline liquid was added, a sufiicient, though small 
quantity of sulphate of copper, a clear, dark blue solution, which 
even after twelve hours standing, at the ordinary temperature, 
did not reduce a trace of oxide of copper. When, instead of a 
solution of potash, a small quantity of slaked lime was added, 
and the mixture heated up to 15 deg. C, (^161 deg. F.,) there 
appeared a bulky coagulum, which increased in quantity till the 
boiling point was reached ; it filtered rapidly, and the filtrate 
was perfectly limpid. The color of the filtrate depends entirely 
on the quantity of lime used and the amount of boiling. The 
larger the excess of lime, and the longer the boiling continues, 
the darker will be the color, which may vary from a light, green- 
ish yellow to a reddish brown. Likewise did the matter change 
which remained upon the filter ; quickly separated, it was cohe- 
rent ; left for sometime in the alkaline solution, it changed to a 
slimy matter, rendering the juice unfit for filtration. This cir- 
cumstance makes the utmost care necessar}' in working the juice 
on a large scale for technical purposes. The juice of the cane 
thus treated, formed, when a moderate quantity of lime had been 



nset?, after a proper degree of concentration, small crystals of 
sugar., lying in a more or less tinged syrup. Wiien the fresh 
juice, however, was concentrated without the addition of quick 
lime, the final result was a dark red syrup, which even after 
months had passed, did not show the slightest tendency to sepa- 
rate crystals of sugar. The juice of the cane contains, if taken 
from the unripe plant, more or less starch, easily recognized by a 
solution of iodine in the slightly acid liquid. The facts so far 
obtained prove, according to the results ascertained by the appli- 
cation of the method of Trommer, that besides cane sugar no* 
other kind of sugar existed iu the juice of the ripe and sound 
Sorghum cane. Yet knowing very well that the whole importance 
of this fact would mainly depend on a favorable answer concern- 
ing th-e general nature of the juice, I tried to decide next what 
oi'ganic matters and what inorganic saline compounds accompany 
the cane sugar ; of what nature and in what quantities they 
are present ; whether they allow of an advantageous separation, 
and by what means the whole process of separation may be 
effected to the best advantage. 

Saline Matters. — A quantitive analysis had informed me that 
the phosphoric acid in the sorghum cane juice was more than the 
alkaline earths required, I selected on that account a method 
recommended in such cases by Woehler, and proceeded in the fol- 
lowing manner : Two hundred and forty grams of sorghum cane 
juice were' evaporated and the organic matter thoroughly de- 
stro3'ed by a careful heating in a mufHed stove. The black 
spongy I'esidue was then pulverized, and divided into two equal 
parts, of which one part was extracted by means of hydro- 
chloric acid, and the other by means of nitric acid ; finally 
for the same purpose repeatedly boiled with distilled water ; 
the hereby remaining carbonaceous mass was then heated in 
a platinum crucible till the combustion of the carbon was accom- 
plished. A white ash was thus produced, which was again heated 
in the same way as the spongy coal. This process left the silica 
in its pure state, and brought the rest of the component parts 
•into solution. The average of various analytical results yielded 
0.0364 gm. silica, which is equal to 0.0015 per cent. 

The question, if that quantity of silica ought to be considered 
as resulting from a soluble silicate of potash, as Casaseca believes 
to be the case, by a similar result in the juice' of the real sugar 
cane (Saccharum officinarum,) or as merely originating from the 



6 

silica of the incrusted cells, as I am disposed to believe, is difficult 
to decide. The solutions of the salts in hydrochloric and nitric 
acid, were analyzed with the precaution necessary, and in the first 
case only the various bases, in the latter, the various acids deter- 
mined. The results average as follows : 

0.219 phosphate of lime and magnesia, besides traces of iron. 

0.310 alkaline carbonates, mostly potash. 

0.069 sulphuric acid. 

0.079 phosphoric acid. 

0.065 chlorine. 



0.742 grams. 



This corresponds with 0.309 per cent of inorganic compounds, 
of which 0.13 per cent are to be counted as pure alkali ; the trace 
of iron may be ascribed to the iron mill. The quantity of saline 
matter thus found, must quite naturally be less than the juice 
really contains, for the organic acids are represented here as 
carbonic acid. The quantity as well as the quality of the inor- 
ganic salts vary, as is known within a certain limit, in plants of 
the same species. Eichly manured soil (stable manure) does not 
only cause an increase of salts in the plants, but effects even a 
substitution of elements of the same chemical group, within 
a certain limit. Such observations have been made, and what 
renders them particularly of interest here, in a cane sugar con- 
taining plant. Hochstetter found that the sugar beet contains in 
its juice according to the nature of the soil and the manner of 
manuring, at one time more potash, at another more soda, and 
that the quantity of those alkalies varies in different soils. The 
acknowledged fact that the soluble salts in various plants, in- 
crease on a richly manured soil, or on soil formed mainly by the 
crumbling of feldspathic and micaceous rocks, entitles me to 
suppose that the soil on which the plants for my observations 
were grown, must have suffered under these disadvantages. It 
is in regard to practical influence in the manufacture of sugar, of 
no consequence, whether potash or soda predominates, for both 
are alike injurious ; they accompany the sugar through all the 
processes of refining ; they interfere seriously with the crystaliza- 
tion of the sugar, and give a bad taste to the molasses. For that 
reason has a cautious farmer, in raising sugar plants, to select a 
soil, which is known to be poor in alkalies, or to treat the soil in 
a manner which will reduce them, when present, and to be par- 



ticularly careful in preventing the accumulation of soluble com- 
pounds of ammonia. The phosphates of lime and magnesia, in 
large quantities, are not obnoxious ; they are generally little 
soluble in the juice, owe their increased solubility in cases like 
ours to the peculiarity of the juice, and are much more easily 
removed than the alkalies. In regard to the quantity of organic 
acids in the sorghum juice, I am unable to judge. The oxalic 
acid seems to be the predominating one, yet what kind of soil and 
probably climatical influence may increase its quantity I do not 
attempt to answer. It may liere suffice to remark, that in the 
real sugarcane the relative quantities of organic acids are known 
to vary greatly at different periods of the season, and to differ in 
different localities. 

Indifferent organic substances.—The indifferent organic com- 
pounds which we here treat of, are divided commonly by chem- 
ists into two distinct series, characterized in their members, by 
presence or absence of nitrogen. The one includes the oxydized 
and unoxydized carbohydrates «4£ fatX^ starch, sugar, pectin, 
&c. ; the other the nitrogenous compounds, as legumin, albumen, 
&c. Many of the first and most of the second series, have thus 
far been studied with such unsatisfactory results, that although 
we are able to identify with facility many members of the first 
series when isolated, or in some cases even detect them in mix- 
tures, yet it is an undeniable fact that there exist insurmountable 
obstacles to their exact quantitative separation. The members 
of the second series are characterized for instance, by indiffer- 
ence to most chemical tests and similarity in general properties, 
and chemists moreover are totally ignorant in regard to their 
essential chemical characters. Numerical results, which have 
been presented to us in connection with similar investigations, 
represent only the present state of our knowledge in this branch 
of chemical science, and are only of relative value. They only 
inform us of results obtained in similar cases by the application 
of the same imperfect analytical method, and .their sole recom- 
mendation is often nothing but the acknowledged superior skill 
and circumspection of the experimenter. Exact calculations, 
which now and then have been based upon such detailed and 
specified analytical results, are in many cases moi-e interesting 
and entertaining than true. 

I have, in consequence of those facts, confined myself to the 
use of methods sanctioned hitherto in practical investigations of 



8 

a similar ctaracfer, and claim no otiier value fof my statement, 
than I have endeavored to explain. 

Besides the purely mechanical methods for separating various 
organic matters, settling, decanting or washing, as is recom- 
mended for the separation of starch, for instance, or fermenta- 
tion, a much more exact method under suitable circumstances, 
as in the case of starch and sugar, the acetate of lead, alcohol 
and slaked lime, are applied generally in precipitating many of 
those indifferent organic compounds, -with or without nitrogen. 
The precipitates thus produced in the juice of plants are gener- 
ally mixtures of various compounds : they have been weighed 
either in their dried state as such, or have been subjected to fur- 
ther analytical treatment. Acetate of lead, and slaked lime par- 
ticularly, answer here very well, in regard to the main question ; 
they at least enable us to bring the sugar, which they leave in 
solution, under such conditions, that we can ascertain its kind 
and its quantity, with much certainty. 

a. Precipitation wtY/i— t'9/co/i^f^Equal volumes of the sorghum 
cane juice and absohite alcohol were mixed, and after a thorough 
shaking, kept well covered and without further motion till the 
sediment did not further increase, and the liquid appeared lim- 
pid, which efltect was produced generally in twenty-four hours. 
The solution filtered rapidl}', and was of a clear light wine color ; 
the residue on the filter was of a greenish color. Washed with 
a mixture of absolute alcohol and distilled water in equal parts, 
this residue retained its greenish hue, but when washed with 
pure absolute alcohol the chlorophyl was dissolved, its green 
solution passed through the filter and the residue became yellow- 
ish white. 

One hundred and twenty grams of juice, treated in the de- 
scribed manner, left as an average in several experiments, a pre- 
cipitate equal to 1.4980 grams, dried at 100* C, (=212° P.,) 
which consisted mainly of the slimy nitrogenous matter, with 
small quantities 'of phosphates and oxalates of magnesia and 
lime. 

Being compelled to make all my observations at one period of 
the development of the plant, late in the season, I was not ena- 
bled to pay particular attention to the physiological character of 
the starch ; it is not unlikely that the starch decreases in the 
same degree as the sugar increases, and that at an earlier period 
in the life of the sorghum, larger quantities of starch are to be 



9 

found ; this being the fact sorghum cane wonld fully rcseralila 
the real sugar cane, in which Payen found that the sugar origin- 
ates from the starch. 

The solution of this scientific problem would prove to be one 
of the most valuable discoveries of our day. Kirchhofe enriched 
at the beginning of the present century the chemical industry by 
his great discovery of changing starch and cellulose of almost 
every description by artificial means into grape sugar. 

Science has since pointed out several ways of accomplishing 
the same result. Scientific investigations have thus drawn the 
lines of relationship between starch and grape sugar, as well as 
between cane sugar and grape sugar, closer year by year, and it 
needs no prophetic eye to favor the idea, that in sight of the 
rapid progress of organic chemistry, the day might not be very 
far distant when we may have to register in our annals the manu- 
facture of cane sugar by artificial means. 

b. Precipitate ivith ./Icetate of Lead. — I added a solution of ace- 
tate of lead to one hundred and "twenty grams of sorghum cane 
juice, till the precipitate did not further increase ; an excess of 
the solution of acetate of lead caused a partial solution of the 
precipitate. 

The precipitate thus produced weighed after being dried at 
100 C. (=212° P.,) 3.5060 grams, which carefully burned, left 
1.6960 grm. of oxyd of lead combined with the larger quantities 
of sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid and chlorine. 

The organic matter, represented by the loss in burning equaled 
1.81 gram, or 1.51 per cent. 

In order to gain some idea of the nature of this organic matter 
I precipitated again two thousand grams of fresh juice, collected 
the precipitate upon a filter, and washed it once with cold dis- 
tilled water ; suspended it afterwards in cold distilled water, and 
treated it with washed hydrosulphuric acid gas, till an excess of 
gas was still perceptible after twenty-four hours rest. The 
solution obtained by the filtration and separation from the sul- 
phuret of lead was colorless, and settled by boiling a small 
quantity of coagulated albuminous matter, it contained all the 
sulphuric acid, phosphoric and oxalic acid of the juice, besides a 
small quantity of another organic acid, which I according to the 
properties of its compound Avith lime believe to be tartaric acid. 
The quantity of this still questionable compound of lime was too 
small to ascertain its true chemical character by an elementary 



10 

analysis. The sulpliuret of lead gave when boiled with distilled 
water, an opalescent solution, which tested with iodine, proved 
to contain a small quantity of (starch?) cellulose, originally sus- 
pended in the juice. The sulphuret of lead thus extracted and 
heated with hydrate of lime evolved large quantities of ammonia, 
resulting from the insoluble albuminous matter retained by it. 
The collective name of albuminous matter is applied for various 
nitrogenous compounds, which are found generally in plants. 
They are usually in a large proportion soluble in the fresh juice, 
predominate more in the juices than in the stalks and leaves; 
they undergo, when removed from the vital action of the plant, a 
rapid change, and one of their best general characteristic proper- 
ties is, that they coagulate at GS^-IO's C. ( = 160«-160« P.) 
They present on account of their rapid change, great difficulty in 
ascertaining their true original character, and leave it thus in 
most cases, undecided whether we had originally only one mem- 
ber of the series, meeting in the course of the investigation the 
products of its decomposition and its changes, or several distinct 
members from the beginning. In sight of these disadvantages, it 
is not to be wondered at that the classification and nomenclature 
of these, although as a group, well characterized compounds, are 
still left more or less to the caprice of the chemist. It seems to 
be the best practice for the present to consider them as modi- 
fications of but one compound. Some chemists have exerted 
themselves in establishing in similar cases a formula, for the 
albuminous matter in plants. I have omitted following them 
here, believing that in cases where not only the analytical meth- 
ods are defective, particularly in regard to a complete separation, 
but at the same time many facts prove that the product, we iso- 
lated, differs widely in its properties from the original compound 
we met with ; that a formula will be of no advantage in enlarging 
our information. Confining myself exclusively to the practical side 
of the question, I ascertained the fact that the albuminous matter 
was less in the sorghum juice than in beet juice ; that it does not 
interfere with the practicable separation of the sugar, and 
although its quantity may be small, it fully suffices to change 
under suitable circumstances all the sugar present into grape 
sugar, and finally into alcohol and carbonic acid. Mulder's 
observations have proved that one part of vegetable albuminous 
matter is sufficient for one hundred and twenty-five parts of 
sugar. 



11 

Another class of compounds containing nitrogen and worthy to 
be mentioned here, embraces the salts of ammonia. They have no 
influence whatever upon the nature of the juice, its changes, etc. ; 
they interfere mainly M-ith the separation of sugar in the form of 
crystals, surpassing almost in that bad effect, the salts of the 
fixed alkalies, and on account of their .strong saline taste they 
A.ender the molasses entirely unfit for domestic use, ■n-hcn present 
in large quantity. The large amount of the salts of ammonia 
found in the molasses of beet sugar, cause mainly the unfitness 
of tliat kind of molasses for domestic use. The-determination of 
the ammonia salts in the juice of plants requires some precau- 
tions. Albuminous matters produce by their decomposition am- 
monia ; and strong alkalies, particularly when aided by an elevated 
temperature, greatly facilitate this decomposition. It is therefore 
necessary to employ the fresh juice and to liberate the ammonia 
at the ordinary atmospheric temperature by a suitable alkali. 
I proceeded in the following manner : I filled a common glass 
flask with a quantity of fresh juice, attached on one side a hydro- 
gen gas generator, on the other a Liebig's glass apparatus, com- 
monly used for the absorption of carbonic acid ; filling it up to a 
suitable height with dilute hydrochloric acid, and then sending 
during twenty-four hours, slowly but constantly, washed hydro- 
gen gas through the main flask, with the intent to carry the freed 
ammonia into the hydrochloric acid. The hydrochloric acid tested 
afterwards by chloride of platinum, proved to be free from ammo- 
nia. The fresh sorghum cane juice, is therefore free from com- 
pounds of ammonia. Should they be observed during the process 
of making sugar, we may know that they are either brought into 
the solutions as such by carelessness, or originated from the 
decomposition of albuminous matter, left in the juice by imperfect 
clarification. 

c. Precipitate with Lime. — Caustic lime has a decided effect 
upon a number of organic and inorganic compounds, which have 
generally been found in the juice of plants. Added in a small 
excess it precipitates at the boiling point, starcli and pectin 
entirely, and arabin, bassorin, and the albuminous matter, in 
large proportion ; it forms almost insoluble basic compounds 
with phosphoric acid and some of the common organic acids : 
removing consequently numerous compounds, which the sugar 
bearing juice usually contains. Slaked lime, or when operating 



12 

on a small scale, lime-water, has been frequently used in precipi- 
tating those compounds alluded to. 

The juice of the beet root, and of the real sugar cane, have 
also been subjected to this method for the purpose of obtaining 
quantitive results, and getting thus insight in regard to their 
condition. That this method, as a quantitive one, suifers more 
by inaccuracy than any other spoken of before, will be seen 
by the following statement. The fact that slaked lime is soluble 
in large proportions, in a solution of cane sugar, producing thus 
a strong alkaline liquid, which will more or less intensively affect, 
destroy and finally dissolve various organic compounds, renders 
its proper use very difficult, leaving it almost entirely to the 
practice of the analyst to obtain corresponding results ; not 
speaking of the increased solubilitj' of the phosphate of lime and 
magnesia by the presence of sugar, etc., still the great and well 
deserved importance attached to the effect of caustic lime in the 
manufacture of cane sugar in general, requires here undoubtedly 
a few remarks on the method itself, and the results obtained by 
its application. 

We have very few instances in technical chemistry in which a 
simple process, aided by skill and experience, has produced as 
valuable results as the application of caustic lime to the clarifi- 
cation of saccharine juices. Well may it be said that when Payen 
pointed out the effect of caustic lime, an important branch of 
industry, the manufacture of beet sugar, received its most power- 
ful impulse, and that thereby was opened a new channel for 
agricultural and manufacturing industry. 

I shall take the opportunity hereafter to call the attention of 
my readers again to a more detailed explanation of the subject 
here under consideration, and for the present confine myself to a 
brief statement of my results. I heated in a suitable vessel fifteen 
hundred grams of Sorghum juice, to 60 deg. — 70 deg. C, (=140 
deg. — 158 deg. F.,) added in small quantities dilute milk of 
lime, till a slight alkaline reaction remained ; increased then the 
temperature gradually but rapidly to the boiling point of the 
mixture, which proceeding, if properly executed, resulted in the 
throwing of a thick bulky coagulum to the surface of the liquid, 
changing the latter into a limpid solution of a light, yellow color, 
similar to old Rhine wine. The scum soon sinks to the bottom; 
separated by a filter, once washed and dried at 110 deg. C, 
(=230 deg. F.,) it weighed 28,810 grams. 



13 

The organic matter, carefully destroyed by heating, left 7,699 
grams carbonate of lime, including small quantities of phosphate 
and sulphate of lime; the loss was 21.111 grams, which corres- 
ponds to 1.40 per cent., mainly organic matter, and 0.52 inorganic 
residuum, composed principally of the lime added, and the car- 
bonic acid resulting from the combustion of the organic matter. 

The color of the filtrate (from the precipitate with lime) has 
been considered the best criterion for a successful operation; if 
it is greenish yellow or a little opalescent, we may expect soon a 
new separation of a slimy, bulky matter, and the quantity of lime 
used or the given time for its effect, or the temperature applied 
has not sufficed to produce the desired result. Is the filtered 
solution, on the contrary, dark yellow, or has it a reddish brown 
tint, we are taught that either the excess of lime has been too 
great, or that the temperature has been either too high or too 
long continued. In both cases a portion of the organic matter 
which should be precipitated will be left in solution. 

A little practice, with some attention, soon teaches one how to 
obtain corresponding results. 

I did not pay further attention to the ascertaining of exact 
corresponding results, they varied within small limits. I felt 
satisfied that lime would have its beneficial influence, so far as to 
precipitate the injurious matters present as completely here as in 
other similar cases, and would therefore render the separation of 
sugar practicable. 

The quality of these organic substances is undoubtedly of far 
more practical importance than the quantity. For large quanti- 
ties of matter, which we can easily separate by lime, are less 
objectionable than small quantities of those which we are not 
able to remove ; taking for granted both have a like injurious 
effect upon the juice. 

Determination of the Quality and the Quantity of Sugar. 

Sugar is a generic term, which was formerly applied to all 
sweet substances, as, for instance, " sugar of lead." 

Its use is at present limited almost exclusively to three well 
characterized organic compounds, which resemble each other not 
only in their remarkable sweet taste, but also in their ability to 
form alcohol and carbonic acid, under the influence of a ferment. 

Milk sugar occurs in milk, and being peculiar to animal life 
does not require discussion here. Grape sugar occurs in largo 



14 

quantity in the grape and most of our rijoe fruits, it is some 
times called fruit sugar. Tliis is the kind of sugar into which 
starch and cane sugar are transformed before they are capable of 
undergoing alcoholic fermentation. It is moreover the only kind 
of sugar we are able to produce artificially, for technical pur- 
poses, from starch and all the varieties of cellulose or vegetable 
fiber. Its applications are numerous, and itfe importance in the arts 
very great. Its intimate relation to cane sugar makes it of con- 
siderable importance in connection with the subject of this article. 

The third kind of sugar was originally found in large quanti- 
ties in various gramineous plants, particularly in the juice of the 
cane of Saccharum Officinarum, Linnaeus, and is called cane 
sugar. The occurrence of the cane sugar in any considerable 
quantity, seems to be limited to a few plants — some graminean 
palms, the maple and beet, most of which, on account of the sugar, 
have been more or less extensively introduced into the agricul- 
tural industry of the various sections of the earth. In describing 
the general properties of the Sorghum cane juice, I have already 
mentioned that the results which I obtained by the application 
of the method of Trommer, entitled me to believe that cane sugar 
is the only kind of sugar that exists in that juice. Trommer's 
method of distinguishing cane sugar from grape sugar, in the 
juice of plants, has been approved by Pelouze in his valuable 
investigation of the juice of the beet root. Its reliability is uow 
generally acknowledged, and the conclusions drawn from its 
results are onl}' modified by the progress of experience so far as 
to prove that the method is more precise and reliable in deciding 
the absence of the grape sugar than in affirming its presence. 

We know that cane sugar does not reduce the oxyde of copper 
in alkaline solutions at the ordinary temperature, while grape 
sugar, under the same circumstances, invariably reduces it more 
or less to a red suboxide. Various other substances have been 
shown, however, to produce a like efiect. 

The quantity of cane sugar is ascertained by various methods, 
which may be divided into two classes: The first class including 
the direct methods in which the cane sugar is separated in crys- 
tals; the second class including the indirect methods in which 
the sugar is not separated, its quantity being estimated either 
from the weight of the products of its decomposition, or from 
optical effects produced by the solution containing it. 

The various direct methods are more or less wanting in exact- 



16 

ness, yet properly modified and carefully executed, tlioy are of 
particular practical importance ; their results show at least to 
the manufacturer that the quantity obtained by the test is really 
in a suitable state for separatimi. ^g^ 

In the examination of real sugarcane, F^-nS, Pelouze, Casaseca, 
and others have successfullj^ applied those methods. They usually 
either extracted the carefully dried cane with alcohol, or evapo- 
rated the clarified juice. The latter method is undoubtedly 
preferable. Extracting the dried plant with alcohol is certainly 
a less objectionable method when applied to the pure cane than 
when applied to the beet root, particularly when in the latter 
case the residue obtained on evaporating the alcohol is weighed 
as cane sugar. Such a method is an outrage on science, though 
supported by high authority. The alcoholic extract of beet roots, 
weighed as pure cane sugar, is inferior to common raw sugar; the 
results varying, according to the observations of Peligot and of 
myself, to the extent of six or eight per cent. Exact science can- 
not emplo}' such a method, and the manufacturer who depended 
upon it would be ruined. 

Several indirect methods have been recommended for the 
determination of cane sugar. 

Biot noticed that cane sugar and grape sugar could be distin- 
guished from each other b)' polarized light, and employed a 
polariscope for this purpose. Biot's observations were confirmed 
and enlarged by Mitscherlich, Ventzke, Dubrunfaut and others, 
who adapted the method to practical operations. They arranged 
scales for different degrees of concentration, and recommended, 
the polariscope to the sugar manufacturers. Many are the advan- 
tages which organic chemistry has since derived from the use of 
the polariscope. but its value in estimating the different varieties 
of sugar has diminished year by year. Experience has shown 
that certain bases and acids, and even changes of temperature, 
seriously affect the optical properties of organic compounds. 
Numerous other compounds are found to exert the same influence 
on polarized light as sugar, and what is of most importance, such 
bodies sometimes accompany the sugar in the fresh juice or are 
the products of changes which the syrup is liable to undergo. 

These circumstances have greatly diminished confidence in the 
polariscope, and render g-reat caution necessary in its use. That 
such would be the result of experience, was predicted by Berze- 
lius when it was first introduced. 



16 

Otliei- indirect methods for determining cane sugar are based 
upon the action of certain chemical agents. The method of 
Barreswil and Fehling is entitled to much credit, being based 
upon Trommer's obseijyation that grape sugar reduces protoxide 
of copper, to subosidefcin an alkaline solution. Barreswil pro- 
posed to change the cane sugar to grape sugar by means of an 
acid, to neutralize the acid, to treat with an alkaline solution of 
sulphate of copper and tit,'trate of potassa, and to calculate the 
weight of the cane sugar from the weight of the reduced suboxide 
of copjjsr. Fehling improved the method by using a copper 
solution of known strength, and calculating the amount of sugar 
from the amount of copper solution employed. Experience soon 
enables the analyst to obtain corresponding results. There are 
different opinions with regard to the exact proportion between 
sugar and suboxide of copper, but they do not materially affect 
the results. When cane sugar and grape sugar occur together, 
two tests are necessary to determine the proportions of both — • 
the grape sugar actually present is first determined as above ; 
then, in another portion of the solution, the cane sugar is changed 
by an acid to grape sugar, the whole amount of which is deter- 
mined. The difference in the results of the two determinations 
represents the grape sugar derived from the cane sugar, and its 
equivalent in cane sugar is ascertained by calculation. 

Equal, if not superior, is a method in which the amount of 
sugar is calculated from the results of its fermentation, either 
alcohol or carbonic acid. It is merely necessary, first, to change 
the cane sugar to grape sugar, and then to attend carefully to 
the conditions which insure a good fermentation. The probable 
alkaline reaction of the liquid must be corrected, and carbonate 
of lime, if present, must be decomposed, as it is liable to cause 
slimy fermentation, producing lactic acid, instead of alcohol. 
Both these points are attained by the addition of a little bitar- 
trate of potassa or tartaric acid, which, according to H. Rose, 
insure exact results. A proper temperature, 25^ to 30* C. (^77° 
to 86" F.,) and the proper degree of concentration are also 
essential. 

Pelouze determined the quantity of sugar in the beet root by 
fermenting the juice and ascertaining the quantity of alcohol in 
the same manner that Gay Lussac determined the alcohol iu 
various wines. The amount of alcohol was reduced to grape 
sugar and then to cane sugar. 



17 

Zennck, in his investigations, determined the sugar from the 
amount of carbonic acid liberated during the fermentation. 

There is another method, which is in fact the only one in which 
cane sugar is weighed as such, in combinatimi, by which a com- 
pound of sugar and caustic lime is s>^]n«ttf^r The use of this 
method is recommended by many chemists and sugar refiners, and 
I shall have occasion by and by to refer to it again. In my 
examination of the juice of the sorgl.um, I have emploj^ed both 
the direct separation of sugar in its most characteristic form of 
crystals, and have also resorted to the fermentation test, thereby 
obtaining practical results upon which the manufacturer can de- 
pend, as well as the exact percentage of sugar present in the juice, 

I placed 1440 grammes of fresh juice in a glass flask, heated 
it carefully to 70^-75° c! (158«-167» F.) added carefully dilute 
slaked lime, till a slight alkaline reaction prevailed, then 
increased the temperature rapidly to the boiling point and 
filtered immediately. The precipitate left upon the filter formed 
a comparatively consistent bulky green coagulum, which, on 
being twice washed, lost all its sweetness. The entire filtrate, of 
an alkaline reaction, was rapidly concentrated to 12''-15'' Baume, 
decolorized by animal charcoal, and finally evaporated over steam 
to a syrup of 34 ''-35" Baume. On sufteriug the syrup to stand 
for forty-eight hours, a crop of crystals was obtained ; these were 
separated, and washed with eighty per cent alcohol — the wash- 
ings being added to the syrup, which was then again concentra- 
ted to 38''-40'' Baume, and mixed with alcohol, the sugar crystals 
obtained were washed as above, and added to those of the first 
crop. The washings and syrup were mixed and evaporated, and 
yielded 66.22 grammes light }'ellow molasses, which was found, 
by the fermentation test, to be equivalent to 16.78 grammes cane 
sugar. The crystals of cane sugar separated, weighed 120 
grammes. The sugar of the molasses, and in the form of crystals, 
amount to 9.95 per cent of the juice employed. The fermentation 
was conducted in a little flask, such as is employed in carbonic 
acid determinations generally. 6.27 grammes molasses were 
placed in the flask, diluted with fifteen to twenty parts of water, 
a small quantity of good yeast added. The mouth of the flask 
was then closed with a cork bearing two difierent tubes ; one of 
these was slender and extended to the bottom of the flask, the 
outer end being closed by a plug of beeswax ; the other tube was 
larger, merely entered the flask, and was filled with chloride of 

[Sorg.] 3 



calcium to absorb and retain the moisture of the escaping car- 
bonic acid. The flask and its contents were then exposed to a 
temperature of 25«-30° C, (77''-86° F.) as long as fermentation 
continued. The beeswax plug was then removed and the car- 
bonic acid still remaimng-'*tn the tube sucked out through the 
tube containing the chloride of calcium. The decrease of the 
whole in weight represented the carbonic acid which escaped and 
was 0.819 grammes: Cane sugar, C12 Hn On, under the influ- 
ence of yeast, first unites with the elements of one equivalent of 
water and becomes grape sugar, C12 H12 O12. By the act of 
fermentation the grape sugar is transformed into four equivalents 
of carbonic acid, 4 CO2, and two equivalents of alcohol, 2 C4 
He O2. Expressed in weights, 180 parts of grape sugar form 
88 parts of carbonic acid and 92 of alcohol. Accordingly 0.819 
grammes of carbonic acid require for their formation 1.67r 
grammes of dry grape sugar or 1.59 grammes of crystallized cane 
sugar. The 66.22 grammes of molasses contained therefore 16.78 
grammes of cane sugar. Of course a small proportion of the cane 
sugar in the molasses is unavoidably converted into grape sugar 
during the process of extracting the crystals. The molasses ob- 
tained from sorghum juice after removing the crystallized sugar 
is fully equal to the best sugar-house molasses. It tastes agreea- 
bly sweet without any unpleasant after taste, which is far from 
true of beet-root molasses. The good quality of the sorghum 
molasses is of great importance here, for the United States far 
surpass every other country in the consumption of molasses. 

The above results have been repeatedly confirmed by other 
tests on a smaller scale. While I was occupied with my exam- 
ination of the sorghum cane, Mr. J. S. Levering of Philadelphia, 
a sugar refiner of high reputation, was engaged on experiments 
with a view to test the practicability of manufacturing sugar 
from sorghum. The results of his experiments have since been 
embodied in a pamphlet. Operating on a large scale and under 
very favorable circumstances, he was according to his report 
very successful. His results calculated upon one acre, with 18,- 
277 stalks, equal 1221.85 lbs. sugar, and 74.39 gallons of mo- 
lasses. His best results ivere obtained during the first week of 
November, 1857. Besides determining the cane sugar in the 
sorghum juice I endeavored to determine it in the dried cane 
itself. One pound of the fresh cane was cut into thin slices, 
carefully dried, and extracted with 70 per cent alcohol. I pur- 



19 

sued exactly the same method which Peligot and Casaseca suc- 
cessfully employed in their examination of the real sugar cane. 
The alcoholic extract on careful evaporation yielded a yellowish 
red and agreeably sweet syrup, which deposited no crystals of 
sugar after weeks of standing. Raspail and Fabroni observed 
that iu all plants which contain cane or grape sugar in any quan- 
tity there are peculiar cells which contain the sugar. These cells 
protect the sugar from the action of the juice during a certain 
period of the vegetation, and also after careful drying of the 
plant. As soon however as these cells begin to decay or are me- 
chanically destroyed the sugar begins to be transformed into 
carbonic acid and alcohol, the latter afterwards changing to 
acetic acid. Moisture, access of air, and the juices of the plant, 
aided by a favorable temperature cause the decomposition of the 
sugar. The juices of plants contain more or less nitrogenous 
matter which acts upon the sugar, particularly in the presence 
of several common vegetable acids, as tartaric, etc., hastening as 
Rose, Rousseau and Theuard observed their fermentation. It is 
a well known fact that an unhurt and carefully dried grape will 
retain its sugar unchanged till the skin and cells are destroyed 
either by some mechanical influence or after lapse of time by 
decay. The contents of the various cells coming in contact with 
each other, and -moisture gaining access to them, decomposition 
of the sugar ensues, giving rise to carbonic acid and alcohol, 
then to acetic acid and finally resulting in the putrefaction of the 
whole fruit. The same is the case with real sugar cane and to 
a certain extent with sorghum cane and the beet root. Sudden 
change of temperature is the most efficient destroyer of the sys- 
tem of cells, and the effects of an unexpected frost in countries 
where sugar cane is raised, as Louisiana, or the penetrating of 
the winter frost into the ill-covered beet-root deposits, silos, 
confirm this theory most seriously. Speedy consumption of the 
sugar plants so affected, before the approach of warmer days, 
will alone prevent their rapid destruction. I had an opportu- 
nity to observe that the temperature which destroys Dahlia pin- 
nata, Cav. (Georgiana variabilis. Wild,) also destroys the sorghum 
plant. Sugar bearing plants, as the sugar cane, beet, and sorg- 
hum, are after having been frozen fit only for the manufacture of 
molasses and alcohol. 

Dried sorghum cane is as my experience proves unfit for the 
manufacture of caue sugar ; dried beet root gave the same dis- 



20 

couraging Results, and their employment has been maintained for 
several years only at great sacrifices. Even the project of carry- 
ing the dried colonial sugar cane to Europe and working it there 
under more favorable climatical influences, by the aid of greater 
skill, has been abandoned. Though Peligot and Cassaseca, con- 
trary to practice, found that dried sugar cane contained only 
cane sugar, it may be urged that results obtained on a small 
scale by experienced and skillful hands are not always confirmed 
by practical operations on a large scale. 

B. The Cane. 

The cane used was cut oif four or five inches above the root 
and freed from the leaves, and the top piece three or four feet in 
length including the seed ear. 2,108 grammes of the rind sepa- 
rated from the spongy interior lost at a temperature of 100'^ — 
110° C. (212°-230° F.,) 1.118 grammes of moisture, equiva- 
lent to 55.88 per cent. 5,143 grammes of the soft interior lost 
under the same circumstances 4,375 grammes, equal to 85.06 per 
cent., and 33,012 grammes of the fresh cane lost 26.06 grammes, 
equal to 78.94 per cent, The moisture of the interior soft subs^ 
tance is to that of the rind as 17 to 11. 180 grammes of fresh 
cane were exhausted by repeated boiling, and the solution 
obtained evaporated to dryness and exposed to a temperature 
of lOO^-llO" C. (212''-230'' F.,) the residue' weighed 18,407 
grammes, equal to 10.22 per cent. 9,733 fresh cane left by its 
combustion 0.0722 grammes of ashes, equal to 0.71 per cent. 
The ash thus obtained had an alkaline reaction, evolved con- 
siderable carbonic acid on the addition of an acid, and contained 
phosphates of lime and magnesia, with an excess of magnesia, 
soda and potash in combination with chlorine and carbonic acid. 
By treatment with a mineral acid a small quantity of silica was 
separated. As usual the alkaline earths predominate ; they were 
probably originally combined to a large extent with organic 
acids. The phosphoric acid was probably mainly combined with 
the alkalies, the potassa exceeding the soda in quantity. It is 
very probable that the larger part of the alkaline and earthy 
compounds are mainly due to the peculiar nature of the soil. 
A feldspathic soil, enriched by carbonate of lime and stable 
manure presents all the conditions necessary to render soluble a 
large quantity of alkalies ; and the formation of ammonia com- 
pounds is favored by the decomposition and decay of animal and 
vegetable matter in the presence of carbonate of lime. It would 



31 

seem as though the circumstances usually favorable to a crop 
would prove injurious to the sorghum cane; thougli this suppo- 
sition has not yet been confirmed by observation. I base this 
opinion on the analogous case mentioned by ilochstetter, who 
found the saline matter of the beet root to vary greatly, both in 
quality and quantity, the variations being due mainly to the 
soil and the manures. As soluble compounds of potash, soda and 
ammonia interfere seriously with the separation of crystallized 
sugar further observations on this point would be very desirable. 

12,406 grammes of fresh sorghum cane were successively ex- 
tracted wi;h boiling water, carbonate of soda solution, dilute 
hydrochloric acid, and finally with a mixture of 90 per cent 
alcohol and ether. 1.06 grammes of dried residue, cellulose, 
remained, equal to 8.54 per cent. 5,056 grammes of dried cane 
lost 0.107 per cent, when extracted with absolute ether. Con- 
sidering 5,056 grammes dry cane equal to 26.19 grammes of 
fresh cane, the loss would be equivalent to 0.408 per cent in the 
fresh cane, and consists of wax. This wax, probably cerosine, 
penetrates particularly the rind or exterior layer of the cane, 
and is more or less distinctly visible as an exudation which 
covers the cane near the joints, as well as the inside basis of the 
leaves, and increasing in quantity as the season advances it 
causes the smoke-like bluish tint of the whole field. It is evi- 
dently verj^ unequally distributed on the plant ; the cane selected 
for my analysis showed no visible exudation of the wax ; one- 
half per cent might therefore represent its average quantity. 

I have already mentioned that a single cane freed from leaves, 
roots, and top piece, weighs from 1| to 2| lbs., though heavier 
plants frequently occur. Three plants weighed together, includ- 
ing roots, leaves, and seed ears, 17 lbs., the same plants without 
the seed ears 13 lbs, without seed ears and roots 9 lbs., and on 
finally removing the leaves 8 lbs. 

According to my examination the fresh sorghum cane consists of 

Water 78.94 

Soluble matter , 10.22 of which 9.-9.5 are cane sugar. 

Cellulose 8.20 

Cerosine and insoluble 

earthy compounds 1.24 

Albuminous matter, etc.. 1.40 

100.00 



22 

The following analj'ses are interesting for comparison : 

Beet-root Juice — Payen. 

Water 83.5 

Cane sugar 10.5 

Cellulose 0.8 

Albumen, &c 1.5 

Fat acids, saline matter and ash 3.7 

lOC.OO 

Sugarcane Juice — Peligot and Dugeny. 

Water 77.2 

Cane sugar.. .._ 20.9 

Inorganic compounds , 1.7 

Organic compounds. 0.2 

100.00 

C. The Leaves. 

The leaves are of a bright green color during the period of 
growth, and assume in autumn a bluish green tint. One hundred 
pounds of fresh leaves taken from the mature plants, lost when 
perfectly dried 27 per cent, of moisture, and in this state consti- 
tute good food for cattle, equivalent to 80 or 85 pounds of ordi- 
nary hay. 

One hundred grammes of fresh leaves left 2.07 grammes of a 
white ash, consisting mainly of lime, magnesia and silica. Thirty- 
four and a half pounds of fresh cane, freed from the roots and 
seed ears, averaged five pounds of fresh leaves ; taking the ave- 
rage weight of a single cane at two pounds, a pound of leaves 
would be furnished by seven canes. The taste of the leaves is 
herbaceous, they contain no sugar, and are readily eaten by cattle 
and horses. 

D. The Seed-ears. 

The seed-ear of the sorghum is in the form of a panicle, which 
during the blooming period is yellowish green, changing after- 
wards to yellow ; while the glumes or seed-leaves change during 
the ripening from yellow to red, and finally to reddish violet. 
The red coloring matter of the seed-leaves appears to be constant 
and durable, and has been repeatedly recommended as a dye. It 
is soluble in alcohol and ether, and almost insoluble in water and 



23 

dilute acids. Dilute carbonate of soda dissolves it to a dark vio- 
let blue solution, from which acids precipitate a bright red dye. 

The seed itself is yellow, of the size of shelled barley, and 
produces a yellowish white flower. It contains considerable 
starch and fat, and forms, when boiled with ten or fifteen parts 
of water, a starch-like pap. The fat is readily extracted by 
ether. From fifty or sixty grammes of ground seed I obtained 
several grammes of fatty acid, by extracting with ether, evapo- 
rating the etherial solution to dryness, saponifying the fat with 
an alkali, and decomposing the soap with a mineral acid. 

Six seed leaves gave nine ounces of seed. One seed ear weighs 
usually, when ripe, from ninety to ninety-five grammes, or about 
three ounces. The sorghum will undoubtedly rank among our 
most valuable cereals for feeding cattle. 

II. Valuation of the Chinese Sugar Cane for Agricul- 
tural AND Industrial Purposes. 

In the former publication of these investigations my estimates 
were based upon the supposition that 24,000 stalks would be the 
average of an acre. This was the result of experience on the 
part of persons entitled to my confidence, but others have con- 
sidered an average crop as only 18,000 stalks per acre. Below 
are given estimates on both suppositions ; the single stalk freed 
from roots, leaves and top piece weighing two pounds. 
At 24,000 stalks per acre, the yield would be : 

Dry seed 190 lbs. 

Dry leaves 5,900 " 

Fresh cane 48,000 " which would produce 

Juice 33,600 "and 

Moist bagasse 14,400 " 

At 18,000 stalks per acre : 

Dry seed 142 lbs. 

Drj' leaves 4,425 " 

Fresh cane.. 36,000 " which would produce 

Juice 25,200 " and 

Moist bagasse 10,800 " 

The cane sugar in 33,600 lbs. juice at 9-9J per cent, would 
amount to from 3,000 to 3,190 lbs., and in 25,200 lbs. juice to 
2,268 to 2,384 lbs. J. S. Lovering actually obtained per acre from 
1,221.85 lbs. of sugar and 74.39 gallons of molasses, to 1,466.22 
lbs. sugar and 74.39 gallons of molasses at 18,000 stalks per acre. 



24 

These results are very encouraging as they show that more than 
half the sugar, or 5 per cent out of 9 to 9J per cent in the juice, 
can be separated. When Archard established the first beet-sugar 
manufactory in Silesia, he was able to separate only from 3 to 4 
per cent of sugar, although 10| per cent were present ; and the 
French manufacturers were quite contented when they succeeded 
in extracting from 4 to 5 per cent of sugar, till Pelouze, Payen 
and others proved to them that they were still leaving more than 
half the sugar in an unpalatable molasses. The history of the 
development of the manufacture of beet sugar ma}^ be studied 
with great advantage by those interested in the sorglnim. The 
rapid development of a rational system of agriculture in Europe, 
is undoubtedly due in great part to the exertions of the chemists 
and the observing farmers to make the beet root the staple sugar 
plant for the country. It may be remarked that the practical 
success of the sorghum cultivation does not depend upon the quan- 
tity of crystallized sugar that may be manufactured from it ; even 
the manufacturer of palatable molasses, or the fermentation of an 
inferior molasses will make it a profitable crop. 

The Manufacture of Alcohol. 
Three thousand pounds of cane sugar are equivalent to 3,158 
lbs. of grape sugar, and as 180 lbs. grape sugar produce 92 lbs. 
of absolute alcohol, will yield 1,614 lbs. of absolute alcohol or 
1,782 lbs. or 260 gallons of 90 per cent alcohol of 0.8228 specific 
gravity. Supposing the yield to be only 18,000 stalks per acre, 
the 2,300 lbs. of cane sugar would be equivalent to 1,030 lbs. of 
90 per cent alcohol or 150 gallons. How near it will be possible 
to approach these figures in actual practice will depend mainly 
on the skill of the manufacturer. Waste is unavoidable, but it 
is an acknowledged fact in most technical operations that better 
results as to quantity can be obtained on a large than on a 
small scale. 

Other valuable products of the Sorghtim. 
The value of the leaves for feeding cattle has been already 
alluded to. It remains for me to call attention to the bagasse. 
The fibre of the sorghum is strong and very flexible, differing in 
the latter peculiarity from the fibre of our common grains, even 
from that of Indian corn. Hypochlorites readily remove its color 
without injuring its flexibility. Its fitness for the manufacture 
of paper has been repeatedly tested with encouraging results. 



25 

My own experiments, in which after extracting the bagasse with 
various chemicals and decolorizing with hypochlorite of soda, I 
obtained a colorless pnlp suitable for making a superior quality 
of paper, without injuring the fibre, confirm the numerous state- 
ments of others. 

In my analysis I obtained 8.2 per cent of very pure cellulose 
or fibre, the manufacturer would probably obtain more, as he 
could not afford to purify it as completely' as was done in my 
analysis. A pound of this prepared fibre is worth for the manu- 
facture of paper from three to four cents. The increased con- 
sumption of paper has for years obliged the manufacturer to 
resort to new sources for the supply of vegetable fibre, and no 
plant promises so abundant a supply of a superior material as 
the sorghum. The United States surpasses all other countries 
in its consumption of printing paper, and has quite recentl}' im- 
ported several million dollars worth of material for its manufac- 
ture. If this money could be put into the hands of enterprising 
farmers here, much could be done to encourage improvements in 
our system of general agriculture. 

National economy teaches us that the independence, welfare, 
and prosperity of a nation are mainly secured by producing 
within its own limits the requisites for supplying its indispensi- 
ble daily wants. Sugar has become a necessary article of daily 
consumption, and a larger quantity per head is consumed in the 
United States than in any other country. It is estimated that 
on an average thirty pounds are annually consumed by every 
individual in this country, or nine hundred millions of pounds by 
the thirty millions of inhabitants. A low estimate of six cents 
per pound for raw sugar shows that fifty-four million dollars are 
annually invested in the raw article.* Placing the production of 
maple sugar in the Northern states at sixty-five or seventy mil- 
lion pounds, and of cane sugar in the Southern states at from 
two hundred to two hundred and fifty million pounds, there 
remains five hundred and eighty million pounds to be imported 
from abroad ; which at six cents per pound costs the country 
annually thirty-four or five million dollars. Estimating the 
quantity of molasses imported at fifteen or sixteen million of 
gallons we have probably five million of dollars more to send 

• This estimate was made for the year 1857 ; since then an import duty of from two to three 
cents per pound has been levied on foreign raw sugar, which is an important inducement tQ 
home production. 

[Sorg.] 3 



26 

abroad annually ; making the total cost of our foreign supply of 
this article for sweetening life at least forty million of dollars. 
As the production of sugar in our Southern states has for several 
years been on the decline, and as the production of maple sugar 
must decrease as the country becomes more thickly jjeopled, we 
cannot too strongly urge upon our farmers the importance of 
entering at once this new channel of agricultural wealth and 
national prosperity. 

The farmer whose husbandry is carried on in a small scale 
cannot expect to reap the full advantage offered by the cultiva- 
tion of the sorghum. Wherever professional skill is required iu 
working an article and in arranging and superintending the 
necessary machinery a large establishment aided by considerable 
capital is always most successful. The farmer may manufacture 
good molasses in a small way, but the manufacture of sugar will 
be most prosperous when conducted on the large scale, or the 
principle of the beet sugar manufacture or plantation system. 
The United States contain an abundance of area favored by 
indispensable climatic advantages and means of transportation, 
and in no country is the skill required in such a branch of indus- 
try more generally diffused. Many of the inhabitants are famil- 
iar with the raising of the sugar cane, and the good lessons 
taught by beet-sugar cultivation of Europe, accessible through 
our immigrants, would undoubtedly aid in securing after a short 
time, the successful management of the sorghum. The Middle, 
Westei'n, and undoubtedly some of those Southern states now 
struggling to keep up their plantations of sugar cane, against 
disadvantages of climate, would gain in a few years a very relia- 
ble and valuable branch of agricultural industry. The real sugar 
cane prospers only where a moderately tropical sun and a mild 
winter favor its growth throughout the entire year. The islands 
and moderately elevated sea shores within the tropics are the 
congenial districts where upon a calcareous clayey soil its luxuri- 
ant stalks reach their highest development. Experience has 
shown that its successful cultivation is confined to very narrow^ 
geographical limits. The beet root flourishes in more northern 
climates, and when transplanted to southern districts failed en- 
tirely. The sorghum seems to occupy the middle ground between 
these two plants. 

As I before mentioned J. S. "Lovering obtained in practice 7 to 
8 per cent of sugar without estimating the amount left in the 



27 

molasses, I found from 9 to 9^ per cent in the juice, and Mr. 
Wray, an Englishman, who examined several species of sorghum 
at Cape Natal, on the southeasatern coast of Africa, found the 
percentage almost equal to that of the real sugar cane, 18 per cent. 
I mention these facts to show what may be expected when the 
sorghum shall have received the attention of our farmers, and have 
become acclimatized on a suitable soil. The transplantation of 
a plant to a new and perhaps less congenial climate and soil 
invariably exerts at first an injurious influence on the vital prin- 
ciple and its products. When the beet root was first cultivated 
for the manufacture of sugar, it contained only 7 to 8 per cent of 
sugar, but by the application of proper care to the cultivation 
and to selecting the best specimens for seed the percentage was 
increased to from 11 to 12 in some species. Should it be possi- 
ble to in'crease the percentage of sugar in the sorghum in the 
same ratio, its successful cultivation would become an accom- 
plished fact ; and our farmers, aided by their superior skill, more 
perfect machinery, and many other advantages afforded by this 
country, would be able to compete successfully with the planters 
of the West Indies. 

Syracuse, N. Y., Feb. 1862. 



